Origin of Jusenkyo
by FatherFigure
Summary: An unlikely but possible origin for the cursed pools. Leftover remains of a pre-historic mana drilling site. Pure mana bottled for the discerning palate.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Ranma ½. The trademark and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications. I'm just borrowing them to write fan fiction.

Jusenkyo

Mention the name Jusenkyo and most of the world's population would have a blank look on their face and say 'HUH?'. For people that live near the cursed valley, it is met with shudders and looks of fear. For the few that have actually set foot in the valley, it means a lifetime of horror and despair.

The valley itself is nigh inaccessible in the Bayankala mountains in a remote region of Western China in the Qinhai province. An underground river provides the water for the numerous springs found in the valley. Each spring has a pool that is large enough for a person to swim a few strokes and deep enough to be over their head. Hundreds of springs. Such a site would surely be ideal for a spa. If it wasn't for the effect the waters would have on the visitors.

The locals shun the valley. They shun even the waters, especially the waters. Local lore spanning generations tell of what happens to anyone exposed to the water of a spring. It changes them. A lucky few stay human, sort of. The majority of exposed people turn into an animal. Depending on the pool the water comes from, they can literally be any animal from A to Z. They keep their humanity and intelligence while in their cursed form. There is no known permanent cure and only a temporary means of returning to their original form. As the curse was created by water someone in the distant past was smart enough to find a way of reversing the curse.

Hot water. Pretty simple when you think about it. Cold spring water caused the curse so hot spring water should reverse it. People cursed were brought back and everyone thought they were cured. Until they were splashed with ordinary cold water and changed to their cursed form. Ordinary hot water returned them to human. Many went mad and took their lives in despair. Others thought they could find a spring and cancel out the curse. To their horror the curses combined, creating horrible creatures that were usually slain before anyone could determine who they were.

Some people were lucky when they were cursed by falling into one of the few pools that allowed them to stay human, sort of. The sex of the victim might be changed falling into a pool. Records were kept and over time it was determined there were at least four pools. The pools were voluptuous teenage girl, muscular teenage boy, virtuous man and priest. A man falling into the boy pool would just be altered to his younger form until changed back. There was no change to the man's form when cursed by virtuous man or priest, he would however be virtuous or priestly in attitude until changed back. Unfortunately, a man cursed by pool of the girl would change into the form of what he would look as if born female.

Over time everyone accepted the tale of something drowning in a pool was what produced the curse. Locals have no idea why the pools exist and can only think that Kami-sama has a reason.


	2. Chapter 2

Date: Around such and such date in the past. (Pick your own date in the past. Just make it really far.)

Place: Jusenkyo (Of course. Oh, come on, where have we been talking about so far!)

" " - Spoken

' ' - Thoughts

The mages have been surveying and assessing the valley for months trying to determine the quality and source of mana. Finally, the team had come to a conclusion.

"Well, Boss, according to our findings the source of mana is an underground river. Very high quality. If anyone wanted to perform any magic here I estimate a boost of 75 percent or better." said the team's Chief Dowser.

"I want a confirmation on the quality. Sink a sampling well at the head of the valley. How far down is the river?" said the Head Mage.

"Hmmm, average is right around 75 feet. Take the drilling team about 10 minutes or so." said the Chief Dowser.

"Alright, get them on it and send a clean sample to the lab tent ASAP." said the Head Mage.

The Chief Dowser started out of the tent already talking to the drilling team leader on his communications crystal. The Head Mage scrubbed at his eyes and looked tiredly at his desk.

'Reports, supply requests, enviromental impact studies and other nonsense. Back in the old days we would have just come here and laid claim. Now, we have to be careful not to disturb a flower or a mouse or a dragon.' thought the Head Mage.

He started dictating to his recording crystal a preliminary report of the find and would append the lab report later. Marketing would review it and determine if the mana would be worth sucking out of the ground.

2 years later

"Boss, we lost another well." said the Production Guru.

The Head Mage groaned and started to softly pound his head on his desk.

'Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. He's taking it pretty calmly today.' thought the Production Guru.

"Wasn't the well covered? You know anything drinking from or falling into a pool makes it useless. What contaminated it this time?"

"Cover doesn't work too good if a dragon wants a drink. Good thing it passed out as soon as it touched the water as usual."

"Anyone injured getting a passed out dragon's snout out of the pool?"

"One of the guys got careless and was splashed. The medtech brought the man's water out to him since a dragon wouldn't fit in the med tent. We're going to have to send him home if we don't make up another dose."

"How many working wells do we have now?"

"Hmmm, 175."

"Draw off enough from one of the good wells to make up his dose. Is this the guy who was careless last month too?"

"Yeah."

"I think I'll help him make it this time. Just before I shove his face in the bucket, I'll tell him I won't pull him out when he passes out."

"Oooh, nasty. I like it."

"Okay, back to work. How many contaminated wells?"

"Lets see, counting this one, uh, 552, I think."

"If I understand the latest lab test result, the mana quality is dropping and it's getting harder to retrieve."

"Yeah, I guess the river level is dropping and that means mana quality drops."

"Well, I better talk to the Head Honcho and tell them the news."

One year later

"Well, thats it. We're shut down, cleaned up, put in the standard warning signs for contaminated mana and now we're out of here."

"Remember how the last well got contaminated?"

"Hoo boy, do I. Head Honcho's teenage daughter comes down to see what a worksite looks like. I know what she used some of daddy's money for. Those were the biggest set of knockers I ever saw, period! Let alone on that tiny girl! No wonder she overbalanced and fell into the pool!"

END


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